Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Joyful Mosaics of Christine Moss

My blog seems to generate a lot of fan mail, for some reason. I find reading these emails a great way to meet people and to be introduced to new artists, one of whom is mixed media artist, Christine Moss.

Christine’s mosaics are created with a view toward uplifting the spirits of those who view them. Through her art she strives to convey joy (hence her studio name, “Joyful Mosaics”) and to connect with that which is Divine. She is mindful of the time it takes to create a mosaic and of the experiences of time expenditure, patience and positive energy that a good piece of art entails. . Her art seems to be as much about the discipline and appreciation for the technique as it is about the finished work.

“When I create mosaics, I am searching for a certain quality of light, texture and color. I am after dream-like realness; that moment when you first wake up and are aware of your surroundings but are still within your dream. Christine Moss

Christine Moss considers mosaic to be a rewarding medium from the very beginning when she sets out to find the perfect tessarae to express what she wishes to convey. She loves the tactile experience of cutting and arranging each piece and working the soft granular grout between the spaces and pays close attention to replicating and transforming the shapes found in nature into her own joyful signature artwork.

A recent resident of Woodstock, NY, Christine creates her mosaics on the main street at the edge of town where she reserves a work space in the back room for painting, grouting and sculptural pursuits. She claims the move has helped broaden her artistic horizons. However, she hasn’t always worked in a dedicated studio.

“When I lived in Jersey City, I worked out of the kitchen and the living room, wherever there was enough open space and light to see. I had a system of trays and panels that I worked from. Glass was everywhere. It was an organized chaos, not something I could really share with others.”Christine teaches workshops and enjoys sharing the creative process with her students who range from senior citizens in the Big Apple and Jersey City, to public school children in Newark where she was an Artist in Residence at the Newark Museum.She is a member of the Visionary Artists Collective at Varga Gallery and sells mosaic jewelry at the gift shop for the Brydcliff Artists Guild. She also sells her work on Etsy. She has built a number of large installations and is available for commissioned work.

Later this month, Christine will participate in the NY Faerie Festival where she will offer not only her mosaics, but a variety of other types of art work including sculptural forms, and jewelry that she makes from found sticks, woven with ribbons, leaves and feathers and embellished with wires and stones.